Folder for sewing-machines.



uhmmnum FOLDER FOR SEWING MAUHINES.

ABILIOATION FILED AUG.5,1909. 1 $23,606. Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

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COMPANY, or cnroneo, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOB. TO UNION ESPECIAL MACHINE A CORPORATIQN OF ILIJNOIS.

FOLDER FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

enema Dec. so, rare.

Application filed August 5, 1908. Serial No. 511,442.

. useful Improvements in Folders for Sewing'l /iachines, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in folding devicesfor sewing machines, and has for an object to provide a folding devicewherein a strip of fabric may be guided and the side edges thereoffolded, so as to brin the edges adjacent each other, substantia y, inthe center of the strip.

A further objectof the invention is to provide a folding device whereina strip of fabric may be guided and the side edges folded, so that thesame will meet substantially in the center of the strip, the meetingedges of the strip being folded in, so as to prevent the appearance ofraw edges.

A further object of the invention is to fold a strip in the manner abovedescribed,

and secure the same by parallel lines ofstitching, together with crossstitching WllICll covers the meeting edges.

These and other objects will in part be obvious. and will in more fullydescribed.

In the drawings which show by way of illustration, one embodiment of theinvention,Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved folder, showing thesame'attached to the bed plate of a sewing machine and part behereinafter with the fabric and parts of the folder brokenaway to fshowthe plate over which the stripisfled and around which said strip isfolded; Figfifi is a view of the delivery end'of the folder; Fig. 3 is asection on the line' 33 of Fig. 1; Figf 'l is a section on the-line H ofFig. I; Fig. 5 is a view of the receiving end of the folderg Fig. 6 is alongitudinal sectional detail, showing the tension finger; Fig. 7 is asectional view through the folded strip the stitching point, showing theposition of the work sup-v port, the needles and the looper; Fig. 8 1s adetail, showing the folding scroll at its delivery end.

In carrying out my invention, any, sort- I able stitch-forming mechanismmay be used,

'ing plate-10. The free v plate are gradually formed into folding andbut, as herein shown, I have provided a form cross stitches extendingfrom one line of stitching to the other.

The work support 4 and the presser foot 5, are of the usualconstruction. The folder 6 is attached to the work support by asupporting shank 7, and suitable screws 8, passing through slots 9formed in said shank. The folder comprises a-supporting plate 10. whichis slightly arched at the receiving end, as shown in Fig. 5. At thedelivery end, said plate 10 is substantially flat, and is ofconsiderably less Width than at the receiving end. Said plate, as shownin dotted lines in Fig. 1, gradually tapers from a point near itsreceiving end to its delivery end. This-plate 10 forms a support for thestrip of fabric, around which said strip is gradually folded, and willserve to hold the olded strip flat, and deliver the same to thestitching mechanism. A foldingplate 11 is secured to the supportingplate at-the )Oll'llZS 12, 12, near the receiving end of the f older,the wholeforming a body portion, and said folding plate is spaced fromthe supporting plate 10, and arranged substantially parallel therewith,as shown in Figs. 2 to 5, thus forming a guiding channel. The supportingplate 11 has its side edges 13 carried aroundunderneath the supportingplate 10, and the distance said side edges extend underneath the plate10 gradually increases toward the delivery end, as shown in Figs. 4:, 3and 2. At the delivery endithe folding plate 11 completely encircles'thesupport- "edges of the folding guiding scrolls 14, 14, as shown in Fig.3, which as they, approach the delivery end,- are brought nearer andnearer together, until the edges passing through the fold ing scrolls 14are substantially abuttcd, 'as shown in Figs. 2 andl. The supportingplate 10 projects slightly beyond the. foldmg plate 11 at the receivingend, and carrise a guiding wire15, which is arranged substantiallyparallel with plate, as shown in Fig. 5, and extends along the edge ofthe folder to strengthen the same. The folding plate 11 is cut away at16 and at 17, so as to through which the fabric may be engaged form anopening the supporting i rected to the needles folder indicated in 40channel to receive to assist in threading the strip of fabric into thefolder. A tension fingerlS is carried by the supporting plate 11, andbears upon the strip passing through the folder, so as 5 to put a slighttension thereon. The foldin scroll 14:, adjacent its delivery end, is onaway at the side as at 14*, in order to allow free deliveryof the foldededge. The folded strip after leaving the folder is di- 1, l. which enterthe folded strip so as to pass through the folded edges which arepositioned adjacent each other centrally of the strip. 1 A looper 00-operates with the needles to form aseries of to cross stitches coveringthe meeting edges.

derneath the strip. and the free edges of the strip are again folded. soas to conceal the raw edges. \Yhen the strip leaves the folder, as shownin Fig. 2, the edges are i brought substantially together, meetingcentrally of the strip. and in this position they are guided to'thestitching mechanism.

Various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Ha ing thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire'tosecure by Letters Patent. is:

1. A folding device for sewing machines, compfising a body portionhaving a guiding a strip of fabric. said body portion being shaped so asto fold the side edges of said strip and bring the side edges adjacenteach other substantially in the center of the strip, and guiding scrollsformed in said body portion for turning in the meeting edges of thestrip.

2. A folder for sewing machines, having .a tapered substantially fiatsupporting plate and a folding plate spaced from said supporting plate,and lving substantially parallel therewith, 'said folding plateextending around the outer edge of the supporting plate, whereby a stripmay be guided be- -'tween' said. plates and have its side edges foldedso as tolie adjacent each other-cenguiding, scrolls. fold ng plate forturning in trally formed in said the meeting edges of the strip.

3. A folder for sewing machines includof the strip, and

.liaving means to the material ing in combination, a. supporting,i;plate ing-" tapered toward its delivery end, a g wire connected to andspaced from-'fsaid supporting plate for .guiding a strip flat againstsaid supporting plate, a folding plate extending around said supportingplate for folding said plate, said folding plate at the delivery end ofthe folder having folding scrolls on its side edgesfiihich are incontact with each other, whereby a strip may be folded and have its'edges meeting substantiallycen trally of the-strip. I

4:. i. folder comprising a having a guiding channel to receive offabric, said body portion being shaped so as to fold the side edges ofthe strip, and

t u bring said side edges ad acent to each other. said folder havingsupplemental guiding means with delivery end substantially central of.the folder. and adapted to engage and turn in an edge of the stripfolded.

5. in a folding device, a body portion having means to fold the sideedges of a strip back upon itself, a second folding device acting togive the inturned portions of said strip a second fold, said secondfolding device comprising right and left hand folders inclining towardeach other, whereby the, edges are. oi'ipositely turned.

(3. In a folding device, a body portion fold the side edges of a striphack upon itself. a second folding de vice acting to give the inti irnededges. of said strip a further fold. said second folding devicecomprising right and left hand body portion,

folders ll'lCllIllllg. toward each-other and in contact at the deliveryend, whereby the edges are oppositely turned.

T. A f(ildiirg--..cle i'icc tion shaped so as to fold the side edges 0 astrip of material inwardly upon said body portion, a secondfoldingdevice operating upon the edges of the folded-in portion of thestrip, subsequently to the first v of the strip for turningiin the rawedges of between said folded-in portions of the strip, and the'bodyportion of the strip, said second folding-in portions being locatedlie-tween the first folding portions, which turn in the side portions;of the strip.

. i In testimony whereof I affix my signature,

' in' presence of two witnesses.

iQHARLES L. RATHBUN. \Vitness'esz r V v Cim-is'rnir MCNEIL, CARRIE Hass.

strip around said a strip having a body por-'

